Gabriel: If Arizona teachers strike now, it's a war against parents, not politicians

Ricardo Cano and Kaila White discuss what you should know about the planned Arizona educator walkout and the #RedForEd movement.

Jon Gabriel: #RedforEd refused to take 'yes' for an answer on higher pay, and now they're playing politics with kids, parents and teachers as pawns.

A teacher at Tuscano Elementary School joins dozens of teachers, parents and students as they stage a "walk-in" for higher pay and school funding on April 11, 2018, in Phoenix. Teachers gathered outside Arizona schools to show solidarity in their demand for higher salaries staging "walk-ins" at approximately 1,000 schools that are part of a statewide campaign for a 20 percent raise and more than $1 billion in new education funding.(Photo: Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press)

For months, the #RedForEd movement pitted underpaid public-school teachers against out-of-touch politicians. In the court of public opinion, that’s an easy battle to win.

Most voters fondly remember their childhood education and empathize with the hard-working professionals instructing their kids.

But the planned walkout changes everything. As of Thursday, the fight will no longer be teachers vs. politicians; the fight will be teachers vs. parents.

As if moms and dads don’t have enough to worry about as the school year draws to a close, they’re now sorting through frantic emails, texts and calls from their local schools, trying to figure out what to do.

Some parents are begging friends and family to watch their kids. Others are getting prices for daycare and worrying if they’ll be able to afford it on their stretched budgets. All are re-arranging their already busy schedules, not knowing when or if this walkout will end.

Amica Franks, a 6th grade reading teacher from Garfield Elementary School, holds a sign along with other teachers at afternoon rush hour traffic from the 10th St. pedestrian bridge over I-10 April 18, 2018.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Emmanuel Blanco, a 7th and 8th grade math teacher from Garfield Elementary School, waves along with other teachers at afternoon rush hour traffic from the 10th St. pedestrian bridge over I-10 April 18, 2018.
Michael Chow/The Republic

It came as a shock when Arizona Educators United and the Arizona Education Association declared that wasn’t enough. They wanted more money outside of the classroom. Guaranteed raises year after year. A billion dollars in new funding. And, bizarrely, an end to tax cuts until Arizona per-pupil funding reaches the national average.

#RedForEd wouldn’t have garnered such heavy public support if the pitch was higher taxes and raises for assistant district administrators.

The AEU’s and AEA’s recalcitrance offends struggling Arizona citizens. All of us would be thrilled to get a 20 percent raise. We’ve navigated a decade of layoffs and pay reductions due to the great recession, so we’re more than a little shocked at #RedForEd’s response.

You can't blame the governor for this

It revealed not only a contempt for all the money we ship to the State Capitol paycheck after paycheck, but this unwillingness to compromise – even a little – was a slap in the face to those who pay teachers’ salaries.

As parents wonder if they need to cancel their kids’ summer trips to visit the grandparents, they can no longer blame the governor. Ducey made a very generous offer despite the months of protests and vitriol hurled his way.

Teachers refused to take “yes” for an answer.

Parents have to conclude that the leaders organizing #RedForEd are playing politics with the children of Arizona. AEU’s Noah Karvelis is a long-time Democratic Party activist while the AEA has already endorsed Gov. Ducey’s Democratic opponent. If they have to use parents, kids and even teachers as pawns, so be it.

A teacher walkout is the ultimate lose/lose. And voters won’t forget who’s responsible.

Jon Gabriel, a Mesa resident, is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and a contributor to The Republic and azcentral.com. Follow him on Twitter at @exjon.